Will;
Yes, I recall the dialogue on yaw-blanking and engine failure. In my view, such yaw angles would have to be severe to upset an engine sufficiently to put the fire out. I wouldn't be prepared to entertain such lateral forces but clearly cannot rule such a scenario out.
In terms of evidence for one theory or the other regarding the descent, for me, the damage pattern of the parts found indicated a low forward speed impact, simply because they are in large, undeformed chunks and not in shattered pieces with evidence of high-velocity impacts either with one another or with the sea.
Any forward motion of a flying airplane vice one that is fully stalled and falling vertically would produce, in my non-expert view, a substantially different damage pattern in the surviving parts we have. A no-flap approach speed for 205k kg for the 330 would, (just estimating, no references to the books at the moment), about 180 - 200kts +/-, or about 300ft/sec, perhaps 200ft/sec if they got some flap out. There is NO evidence of a high forwards-speed impact or shrapnel markings in the wreckage we have seen but good evidence of high compression loads. I have never, therefore, considered the "Mach-tuck" stall/LOC or high-speed descent a viable explanation.
Independent judgement can determine whether that is "intelligent speculation" or not! The older I get the less amazed I am at how wrong I can be - the basis for all truth!
